Blossoms
by Shonetta
Summary: Short J/C story post-endgame.


Star Trek Voyager characters are the property of Paramount Pictures.

An old fluffy J/C story.

BLOSSOMS

TEN MONTHS AFTER VOYAGER'S RETURN

"This certainly is an impressive ship," Kathryn Janeway said as she was given a personal tour around a new Starfleet starship called _The Eagle_ by Admiral Paris, "but I hope a demotion isn't on the cards. I'm settling into being an admiral very nicely, thank you very much."

Admiral Paris laughed. "No demotion, Kathryn, I assure you. But you're right in thinking you have a personal interest in this ship. We're thinking of promoting Chakotay to captain and assigning it to him."

At these words, Kathryn's face fell. After a crazy few months since Voyager's return, she and Chakotay were back in each other's lives and she wanted it to stay that way. In fact, now that they were both free agents, his romance with Seven having ended months ago, she was hoping their relationship would evolve into what it had always promised to be. That certainly seemed to be the direction they were heading. They saw each other almost every day, were closer than they'd ever been, and the chemistry that had always been between them was still there. But if Chakotay was promoted to captain then...then duty would once again come between them.

"Before we do promote him, though," Admiral Paris went on, "we'd like your opinion." He smiled. "On his promotion, that is, not the ship. Do you think he's up to it?"

Kathryn was a moment in answering. "I do," she said quietly. "Chakotay would make a fine captain."

"But I sense a but," Admiral Paris declared.

"No but," Kathryn answered. "Chakotay has earned the promotion."

"Then why do you look like I'm talking about a court martial?"

"Because Chakotay is a very close friend and..."

Admiral Paris finished the sentence she was struggling to. "You'd hate for him to leave for months on end?"

Kathryn nodded.

"Then we'll forget the promotion. He's doing a fine job at the Academy and we'll leave him there."

"No," Kathryn protested. "That wouldn't be fair. Chakotay deserves the promotion and deserves the right to accept or decline it himself."

"Then I'll pay him a visit this afternoon and lay it on the table. Do you think he'll accept?"

"I don't know. He misses life in space, as do I, but he really enjoys teaching at the Academy and all the perks of a ground job."

Admiral Paris's eyes twinkled. "Including the company of a certain former captain?"

Kathryn had to smile at that. "Far be it from me to say."

Admiral Paris then put his hand on her arm. "Come on, let's grab ourselves a coffee and check out the ready room."

"Coffee? Yes, Sir!"

Admiral Paris laughed and then went to replicate their favorite beverage.

* * *

><p>The evening air was warm and sweet. In the garden of her house in Bloomington, dressed in casual blue dungarees, Kathryn did some long overdue gardening. Weeds were sprouting up all over the place and, as she needed to do something to take her mind off Chakotay's possible promotion, now was the perfect time to pull them up. As she did, her hands and knees in the dirt, a little black dog kept her company. He had big eyes, a flat face, and was doing his best to help by digging up anything that looked green and leafy. Unfortunately, the green and leafy that he dug up was Kathryn's growing tomato plants.<p>

"Oh no!" Kathryn cried when his antics came to her attention. "Oh no, no!"

But it was too late. All her tomato plants were up.

"Oh, Dexter, honey," Kathryn exclaimed, going over to her desecrated tomato patch, "oh look what you've done!"

Fortunately for Dexter, the computer spoke through the garden comm. "Incoming transport request, Chakotay."

At this, Kathryn took a deep breath and responded. "Accept."

Almost immediately, Chakotay appeared before her. He was smartly dressed in a white suit and was holding a bunch of red roses. His neat appearance made Kathryn acutely aware of her own dishevelled one, but as she tried to brush back her wild bob with her fingers, she succeeded only in combing it with dirt.

"Chakotay..." she said. "Hi."

"Hi," he smiled. He then looked at the patch of pulled up tomato plants in amusement. "What's happened here?"

"A little dog called Dexter," Kathryn said. "I was pulling up some weeds and my beloved dog, no doubt trying to help, decided to pull up my tomato plants."

The dog jumped up on Chakotay as he laughed, a tomato plant between his teeth, and wagged his tail in welcome.

"Oh down," Kathryn cried, "down, down!"

The dog's paws were covered in mud and now, unfortunately, so were the knees of Chakotay's suit.

"Oh Chakotay," Kathryn said in dismay as she picked up her delinquent pet. "I'm so sorry. Your suit is ruined!"

"Not my suit," he answered. "Just my pants. But it's no big deal. I can replicate new ones."

"That's very generous of you. And I insist on you using my replicator." She then pulled the tomato plant out of Dexter's mouth and tossed it away. "But what am I going to do with you, Dex? Shall we recycle you along with those pants?"

"That won't be necessary," Chakotay smiled. "I think spending the night alone will be sufficient punishment."

Kathryn looked up at her former first officer. "Spending the night alone?"

"I have a table for two reserved at an ocean front restaurant in Hawaii. Unless you have other plans, I'm counting on you joining me."

Kathryn smiled, her eyes sparkling. "You have a date."

"Good," he said. "Because that's what I hope it is." He held out the bunch of roses. "These are for you."

Kathryn put Dexter down and took the bunch. "They're beautiful, Chakotay. Thank you." She then looked up at him. "And I share your hope...about the date."

Chakotay smiled and they gazed into each other's eyes, losing themselves, until Kathryn remembered about his promotion. As she did, the joy in her eyes faded and she looked down.

"What's wrong," Chakotay asked kindly. "Have I..."

"Crossed the line?" Kathryn finished as she met his eyes again. "No. I want us to cross it. I want nothing more. But I know you had a visit from Admiral Paris today. I know what he offered."

"I see," Chakotay replied.

"Before we...I need to know what your intentions are." Tears filled her eyes. "I wasn't quite honest with you on Voyager, Chakotay. Our positions weren't the only barrier to a relationship. After I lost Justin, I vowed I would never date a fellow officer again. After I lost Mark, I vowed I would never date as a captain again. Space it..it claims a lot of lives, demands a lot of sacrifices. I don't want to love only to lose again. I can't. If you want to captain then...then we can't cross the line." A tear ran down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Tenderly, Chakotay reached out and put his hand on her shoulder. "I have no desire to captain, Kathryn. Everything I want is standing before me."

A light filled her eyes. "Really?"

Chakotay nodded. "I love you, Kathryn. I've always loved you. Letting go of the hope we'd be together was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. Now there's a chance for us, the last thing I want is to fly off into space."

"But it's a great opportunity, Chakotay, and..."

Chakotay silenced her with a kiss. As their lips locked, the flowers in Kathryn's hands fell to the floor and she wrapped her arms around his neck. Chakotay's strong arms gathered her against him and they kissed with all the passion of a long forbidden love.

"Well," Kathryn smiled when at last they drew apart, "that was certainly a kiss worth waiting for."

Chakotay smiled and took her hands in his. "My place is here with you, Kathryn. I'm going nowhere."

"Except to dinner," she teased.

"Except to dinner," he laughed.

Gently, Kathryn traced the course of his tattoo, something she had always longed to do, and then brushed her fingers against his cheek.

"For so long I had to hide my feelings for you, had to bury them deep inside, but now...now I can let them shine. So, I hope you're ready to be dazzled."

Chakotay smiled. "Ready and waiting."

Their eyes locked again and then their lips. As they kissed, Dexter watched them, his head cocked to the side, but then a butterfly caught his attention and he chased it around the lawn.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you," Kathryn said as they parted, "but your jacket is kind of soiled now too."

"That is certainly the word," Chakotay smiled as he brushed some mud off his jacket. "But I'm not complaining."

"Shall we go inside and change?"

Chakotay gazed deep into her eyes. "After one more kiss."

Kathryn smiled and slipped her arms back around his neck. "Deal."

With that, their lips met and they happily surrendered to another kiss.

THE END


End file.
